The high demands of air-traffic control

Air Traffic Control is a complex, safety-critical field of expertise. Currently the market allows for little innovation:Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) have been working with the same technology for decades – it is based on an abstract, two-dimensional visualization of airspace (Graphical User Interfaces of the RADAR). ATCOs are therefore confronted with a highly demanding task - flight levels are only indicated by text and the third dimension has to be mentally reproduced and indicated. At the same time, the interpolation of aircraft positions are being updated only every 1-4 seconds. Air Traffic control is therefore considered one of the most challenging professions.

Situation awareness through new technology

The project VAST – Virtual Airspace and Tower aims at improving the projecting of air traffic into a virtual space with new, state-of-the-art visual computing technologies and visualization concepts. Vast wants to improve situation awareness of ATCOs and provide them with an equipment of higher quality than present technology can offer.